A group of four ranches in Brazil are the first in the world to earn Rainforest Alliance certification for sustainable cattle production, The ranches, all belonging to the group Fazendas São Marcelo Ltda., met the standards developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Network that promote the humane treatment of livestock, the conservation of natural resources and the rights and well-being of workers, Rainforest Alliance said.
Electronics recycler Redemtech said that it is the first company in Canada to achieve e-Stewards electronic recycling certification for its Guelph, Ontario, TCM Center. Redemtech’s operations in the US and UK are also e-Stewards certified, with the UK location named the first certified recycler in Europe in September 2010, the company said.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China has published its latest proposal on China RoHS, which is open to comment until July 10. The proposals clarify the definition of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and fall in line with EU RoHS standards, writes Electronics Weekly.
Australia’s Galvin Engineering recently received final approval and certification to ISO 14001, ending a two-year companywide project and four separate audits over a five-month period. The company said that the process included updating all current systems to include ISO 14001 clauses, the development of new registers, and increased monitoring and reporting.
Zimbabwe gold producer Freda Rebecca owned by regional mining conglomerate Mwana Africa has received ISO 14001 and OHAS 18001 certification for sustainable environmental management and occupational health and safety management systems. International accreditation and certification body DQS conducted the audit, The Herald said.
Citi announced that it has earned LEED Platinum certification at its 9,700-sq.-ft. New York City flagship branch in Union Square, and that the certification marks the bank’s 200th LEED-certified projects. The LEED building initiative is part of the bank’s $50 billion in funds pledged to address global climate change, which includes financing for the renewable energy and clean technology industries as well as investments, the bank said.
The University of Wisconsin Hillel Foundation announced that the Barbara Hochberg Center for Jewish Student Life has been awarded LEED Gold certification. Features of the facility include a design to use 25 percent less energy than a typical building zero irrigation used for landscaping; an on-site renewable energy system that supplies up to 80 percent of the energy for the building’s hot water needs; and a potable water use savings of 46 percent better than a baseline building.